CB South was the lone SOL baseball team to survive Monday’s opening round of the District 1 Tournament.
CLASS 3A
#1-17 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 5, #1-16 COATESVILLE 3
The Titans scored five runs late and rode the strong arm of Ryan Rieber in relief to notch a win in Monday’s district opener.
“It was a really well-played game,” coach Brian Klumpp said. “Every win is big. You win and survive, and we survived until Wednesday.
“We finally have a full healthy lineup with Joey Loynd and Bryan Rossi back. We’re feeling confident, and our guys love to be at the field every single day. It’s a good group to have.”
The Titans found themselves staring at a 3-0 deficit after Coatesville put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth off starter Owen Petrich.
“Owen Petrich was really good on the mound for us,” Klumpp said. “He really stepped up. For a sophomore to really step up the way he did in a spot like this was impressive.
“In the fourth inning with two outs, they got a little flare and then found some holes and ended up going up 3-0.”
The Titans responded with a three-run inning of their own in the fifth. Connor McKeown singled to lead off the frame, and Petrich followed with a double. McKeown scored on a groundout by Ryan Rieber, and Zach Steinberg followed with a single. Brock Veit’s RBI double made it a 3-2 game, and the two teams were deadlocked when Jake McKeown followed with an RBI single.
The Titans took a lead they would not lose in the sixth. Bryan Rossi hit a one-out single, and the Titans had a pair on board when Connor McKeown doubled to left. With two outs, Rieber delivered a two-run single that put the Titans on top 5-3.
“That’s kind of how this group has been all year,” Klumpp said. “They just battle, and they never feel like they’re out of the game. We had three at-bats left, so we weren’t pressing two much. Thankfully, the next inning we got three runs back and the following inning scored two more.”
Rieber also earned the win on the mound, allowing two hits and no runs in 3.1 innings in relief. He struck out three and walked two. Neither Petrich or Rieber will be available to pitch on Wednesday.
“Our pitching rotation has been pretty deep all year, so we have guys that we’re confident in for Wednesday, and we’ll go from there,” Klumpp said. “It wasn’t how we drew it up. We wanted to save Ryan for Wednesday, but you have to win. If you don’t win, there is no Wednesday.
“Ryan was right around 38 (pitches) going into the seventh inning, and they started to get some runners on base. He was at the pitching mark. I went out to the mound and said, ‘Wednesday is out of the picture. We need you now.’ He really beared down and did a great job just like he’s been doing all year for us.”
Jake Trachtenberg was 2-for-3 with a triple, and Connor McKeown was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Steinberg was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Rieber was 1-for-2 with three RBIs.
“The bottom of our order was very good,” Klumpp said. “Six through nine went 4-for-9, and it seemed like they were on base all night long, and they really sparked the big innings for us.
“Jake Trachtenberg hit the way he’s been hitting all year. He was on fire.”
Central Bucks South (13-6, 7-5 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury for one of two All-SOL contests in Wednesday’s second round.
Central Bucks South 000 032 0 5-11-0
Coatesville 000 300 0 3-9-0
#1-14 SPRING-FORD 8, #1-19 QUAKERTOWN 7
The visiting Panthers extended the Rams to the limit before falling in Monday’s opener. They had the tying run on second with none out in the seventh when Justin Butler doubled to right field to lead off the inning.
The contest was an emotional roller coaster ride for both squads. The Panthers appeared to be in control after plating three runs in the first inning and adding a single run in the second to go on top 4-0.
The first inning outburst included three extra base hits. Nolan Byrnes tripled to lead off the game, and he scored on a wild pitch. Adam Ritter, who was hit by a pitch, scored on Dennis Pierce’s RBI double, and an RBI double by Justin Butler gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead before fans had settled in their seats.
In the second, they added a single run when Ben Eichorn, who singled, scored on an error to put the Panthers on top 4-0. The Rams erased that lead with a four-run second and went on top 5-4 after plating a single run in the third.
The Panthers regained the lead with three runs in the fifth. Pierce was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and Mason Hicks smashed a two-run home run to left. A Spring-Ford error allowed a third run to score, and the Panthers led 7-5. The Rams evened the bottom of the fifth and took a lead they would not lose in with a run in the sixth.
In a contest that saw both teams collect 11 hits, Byrnes led the Panthers with a 3-for-4 effort that included a triple and run scored out of the leadoff spot. Hicks was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Butler was 2-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored.
Quakertown (7-5 SOL) closed out the season with a 13-7 record.
Quakertown 310 030 0 7-11-0
Spring-Ford 041 021 x 8-11-3
#1-13 BOYERTOWN 8, #1-20 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 2
The Golden Hawks never could solve the mystery of Boyertown starter Nolan Kline, who allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. He fanned five and walked two.
They averted a shutout by scoring a pair of runs in the seventh. Jared Ennis opened the inning with a double, and one out later, Jake Barder was hit by a pitch. RBI singles by Pat Gannon and Jon Pinciotti put the Golden Hawks on the board, but by that time, the Bears – who erupted for seven runs in the fourth – had an insurmountable lead.
Council Rock South (7-5 SOL) closed out it season with an 11-7 record.
Council Rock South 000 000 2 2-5-1
Boyertown 000 701 x 8-11-0
CLASS 2A
#1-11 BISHOP SHANAHAN 13, #1-6 UPPER DUBLIN 12
The Flying Cardinals found themselves in a wild one in Monday’s opening round. They trailed 13-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh but rallied and had the tying run on second when the game came to an end.
“I’m extremely proud of the way that our guys and our seniors battled,” coach Ed Wall said. “Our young guys stepped up, and in the end, they gave us a shot to win, which is all you can ask for against a team who’s been in the playoffs for years.
“We haven’t been in for the last two, and it was a lot of fun to battle, to see our guys compete and step up in big moments. It’s a tough one to swallow. I’m going to miss all these guys. It was a great bunch to coach.”
UD got on the scoreboard in the second when Nick Lombardo, who singled, scored on a dropped third strike. In the second, they added two more runs to go on top 3-0. The Eagles responded with a nine-run fourth, taking a 9-3 lead. The Cardinals clawed their way back, scoring one in the fourth and plating five runs in the fifth to knot the score 9-9.
Shanahan scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to take a 13-9 lead. Down but not out, the Cardinals rallied in the seventh. Brian McPeak and Kyle Rizzo opened the inning with back-to-back singles, and one out later Lombardo singled home a run. Jacob Womelsdorf walked to load the bases, and with two outs, Jarrod Matz singled to plate a pair. That’s as close as they would get.
“They definitely hit the ball, there’s no doubt about it,” Wall said of Shanahan. “In that (nine-run) sixth inning, we walked the bases loaded, and for whatever reason, we just couldn’t get out of it.
“There was just a sequence of events that was really unfortunate for us. When it’s all said and done, we’re coming into the bottom of the seventh inning and we’re still battling. It’s an awesome opportunity to see our guys’ determination in the face of that kind of adversity. The obstacles we had to overcome in that game were great.”
McPeak’s 4-for-5 effort included one RBI and three runs scored. Lombardo was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Matz was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored. Elijah Peck singled, drove in a pair and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot. Karan Acharya had a pair of RBIs.
“It was a tough game,” Wall said. “We were all trying to find the strike zone out there. Amidst all that, we were still able to have one of the best offensive outputs we’ve had in years.
“The way that this senior group hits the ball. Nick Lombardo had his best offensive game of the season today, which was so awesome to see as a freshman in a big game. Brian McPeak was 4-for-5 – I can’t ask for anything more from that kid. Jarrod Matz had an unbelievable game – 2-for-2, 3 RBIs and two walks. It was fantastic to see our guys battle.”
Both teams collected 13 hits, and the teams combined for 15 walks.
“Fifteen walks in a playoff game,” Wall said. “I’m sure both teams haven’t walked this many guys all season, but both teams played really good defense. For 13 hits being put in the field, we only had one error. We made some fantastic plays, and our pitchers battled.
“It was tough going out there for us. There were moments out there where it was tough to find the strike zone, but we still managed to make it a close game.”
Upper Dublin (8-6 SOL) closed out its season with an 11-10 record, a dramatic turnaround from last year’s four-win season.
“I couldn’t have done it without my assistant coach Ken Irwin,” Wall said. “Our guys have learned a ton from him, and we’re really lucky to have him on board.
“There’s always going to be a year or two that are tough, but it comes back around and you start climbing back up. It looks like we’re on the rise. We started two freshmen this year and a couple of sophomores played in big spots, but these seniors really carried us. They’re definitely going to be missed.”
Bishop Shanahan 000 902 2 13-13-2
Upper Dublin 012 150 3 12-13-1
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